Unexpected
by an0nym0us-fic-writ3r
Summary: What do you do when a mistake leads you to make one of the most life changing decisions you've ever faced?
1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Emerald, like many girls her age, dreamed about one day starting a family. She had dreams about marrying the love of her life, dreams about telling her family and friends that she was expecting her first child, dreams about watching that child grow up and leading a happy fulfilling life. That dream was distant and fuzzy, but dreams were so much more different than reality. Especially for Emerald Goldenbraid. This was no longer a sweet futuristic fantasy. This was a harsh and rather brutal reality; one that would change her life forever. This reality involved Emerald slumped against the bathroom wall, peering down at a gross plastic stick in her hands as tears streamed down her face.

That stupid little plus sign confirmed to her that the sudden swelling and soreness of her breasts and puking her guts out every morning had a purpose after all. She couldn't tell if she would rather scream or cry first. This wasn't something for Emerald to merrily inform her friends and family about. This was nothing to celebrate or be happy about. This is shameful. She should be ashamed of herself; and she is. She isn't married nor is she even at least an adult. She's just another pregnant sixteen year old girl. The kinds of girls she used to stare at when she was a pre-teen and would think I'll never throw away my life like that. The kinds of girls that were made fun of by strangers and even their own friends for being "sluts". The kinds of girls many parents would swear they'd disown. The kinds of girls that she just became.

Emerald's mind, aside from the rising anxiety buzzing around in her head like an angry beehive, could only flashback to approximately three weeks ago. She and Kasey had been sexually active together for about a few months since they started officially dating, but they'd always been very careful about using protection. However, as anyone who's ever taken health class knows that there's still always room for error, no matter how many preventive measures you take. Emerald knew that far too well now. Kasey would too in due time.

 _Oh god, Kasey…_

Emerald buried her face in her hands. She loves Kasey, and she knows that he loves her. They had discussed once or twice about getting married one day, but babies never came up into the conversation. Why would they yet? Emerald and Kasey both turned sixteen within the past three months.. What boy at that age, regardless of how much they may love their significant other, would want to spend their time caring for a screaming and crying infant? If there was such a boy, Emerald certainly wasn't aware of his existence. And she couldn't exactly blame them. Especially if they enjoy living their life with their sister as a sky pirate. Heck, she didn't exactly feel like raising a child right now either. She's a Mysticon knight! That job practically asks you to be willing to give your life if necessary. How can she fill that role while carrying a child? It would also be incredibly difficult for Kasey to keep being a sky pirate under this condition. The most logical thing for many teenage boys who weren't ready to become fathers, Emerald realized, would be to reject her. Just like that, their relationship would be over. No more date nights, no more surprise gifts, no more anything involving Kasey. All because they couldn't keep their legs shut.

Fear and sorrow could only began to describe the emotions swimming around in her brain. She was going to lose everything.

 _No one can know. Not yet._

For now, she has to keep it to herself. The weight of the situation felt too great for her to open up about now. She felt suffocated as a lump formed in her throat, making it all the more difficult to breathe.

A loud knock on the door made her jump, rattling her out of her thoughts. "Emerald sweetheart," her mother's voice rang out gently, "Are you alright in there? You've been in there for quite awhile and I'm sure your friends are wondering where you are…" That was her cue to leave. She and the girls had training today.

Finally, Emerald raised herself up before responding to her mother, wiping the remaining tears that coated her cheeks, "I'm fine, mom! I was just… restocking the toilet paper!" She cringed at her own bad excuse. If she was going to keep this a secret, she'd have to start improving her lying skills. Emerald almost threw the pregnancy test into the trash can, but then thought better of it. Surely, if not her mother, her weird trash-rummaging little brothers would find it. And that is not an option right now. Instead, she wedged the stick in her pocket before washing her hands and exiting the bathroom.

"Emerald! There you are!" Arkayna greeted. Her voice caught the attention of their other friends, including Kasey. He had been chatting away with Malvaron and Doug before he saw her. He flashed her his signature smile and started to make his way over, clearly happy to see his girlfriend. Seeing Kasey right now made Emerald's insides squirm. She was already feeling stressed over her little discovery and wasn't sure if she could handle being around half the reason she was in this position right now.

Arkayna kept talking, her eyes clouding over with concern. "Are you okay? It's not like you to be late. I was starting to think that something horrible had happened."

 _Well, Arkayna, you're not wrong…_

Emerald tried imitating what was supposed to be a smile, "Yeah, sorry for being late, Arkayna. I was feeling kinda sick this morning." Arkayna knew her too well. She couldn't help but wonder if her eyes gave away her secret that a tiny human being was growing inside her at this very precise moment. After all, the eyes were the windows to the soul, and no one knew her soul quite like her best friend.

Thankfully, Arkayna didn't seem to suspect anything of that matter. She prayed the same for Kasey as he was now right there, getting ready to greet her like the good boyfriend that he was. He stepped forward, giving her a quick affectionate peck on the forehead, "Hey Em! I'm glad you're here! For awhile you had me worried!" Every word he spoke was loving and genuine. All the more to make Emerald feel guilty with. She forced another smile to her lips, "Hi, Kasey. Sorry about that. I wasn't feeling too hot earlier."

Kasey's face morphed into an expression of concern, "Really? Do you think you're sick?" He stepped forward to touch her comfortingly, but Emerald moved away. She still felt too shaken up to be touched by anyone right now. Especially Kasey. Even that kiss he gave her made her feel dizzy and unsettled. Of course, he took notice, his worried expression both deepening but also now had traces of hurt in it. It was almost enough to rip Emerald's heart in two.

 _If you think that hurts, how do you think it'll feel when he leaves you?_

Arkayna began to feel awkward. Emerald's strange behavior made her certain that something personal must be going on. As much as she wanted to ask Emerald, she felt it was better to let it go for the moment. It was getting later by the minute and there is a lot of new training techniques to be covered. She clapped her hands together, "So! Emerald, are you prepared for some training? Some of the new stuff is pretty hardcore and I think Zarya and Piper are getting a little antsy…" she gestured to their friends, who, as happy as they were to see her, were clearly getting bored with just standing around.

"Oh, yeah! Totally! I'm ready when you are!" Emerald snapped her attention back to Arkayna, ready to move on from this uncomfortable situation.

Arkayna smiled, "Great! I bet Kasey can't wait to see you kick butt…" she teased as they made their way over to the balcony. Emerald forced out an awkward giggle.

Stepping out onto the balcony, Emerald remembered she and Arkayna were partners in today's training exercises. She wasn't entirely sure how training was going to go today. If she avoided too much physical contact, then everyone would start to think something was wrong. However, if she got too physically involved, then her pregnancy would come to a… rather unfortunate end. A miscarriage, whether she wants this baby or not, is not a favorable way to deal with the issue.

As they each took their positions, Emerald could already hear Kitty cheering Zarya on. Emerald could barely even stand to look at Kitty. She only reminded her of Kasey. And being reminded of Kasey only reminded her of the current predicament she's in. For god's sake, is there anyway I can just focus? She thought quietly, beginning to feel frustration creep in. Suddenly, she felt an intense burst queasiness overcome her."Oh no…" she mumbled to herself, realizing that she if she doesn't get to a bathroom soon, she could, quite literally, spill her guts in front her friends this very instant.

She clutched her stomach, already feeling a small bump. By the next week, it would grow bigger. And after the following week it would grow bigger. Eventually, whether she says it or not, everyone will know. Her parents will know, her friends will know, Kasey would know. What would happen next is what scared Emerald more than anything. She just couldn't stop thinking about how she could lose Kasey…

Another fear penetrated her thoughts. Kasey may not be the only one who would reject her. What if her friends rejected her? Sure, they were kind-hearted, but even the most kind-hearted people can be disgusted by others. Piper was young and naive, but Zarya had a large impact on her. If Zarya felt strongly about something, Piper would likely feel that way too. Arkayna and Zarya were also royalty. Queen Goodfey may not be an overly conservative snob, but she still wanted positive influences for her daughters. Especially, Arkayna. That was the main reason why she even permitted them to hang out to began with. When people think of pregnant teenagers; the words "positive influence" usually don't come to mind. She could lose her best friend. She could lose all of her friends.

 _Oh my god. I really could lose everything._

Emerald now felt worse. Her stomach twisted and turned and she knew immediately that losing her breakfast in front of everyone was a huge possibility if she didn't get out of there. She raised her hand and asked Arkayna to be excused.

Arkayna nodded, giving her another worried glance, "Yeah, of course! Are you alright? Should I come with you?"

Emerald gave Arkayna another fake smile, internally panicking as the bile began to slither its way up her throat. "I'm fine. My mom's cooking must not be agreeing with me today." Before the princess could get another word in, Emerald made a beeline for the restroom, mentally preparing herself for the most unpleasant.

Every morning, the first thing Emerald did was throw up. However, she didn't have the luxury of rushing to the bathroom whenever she pleased. She always had to be careful to sneak by her parents and brothers to prevent them from becoming suspicious. Sometimes, she never even made it to a bathroom. Occasionally, the poor flower pot in her room became a victim of her regurgitation as did the kitchen sink and even one of her brothers' shoe at one point! (Thankfully, her brothers dirty themselves up so much that they didn't seem to care or even notice.) Unfortunately, when it came to her friends and Kasey, sneaking off proved to be even more difficult. She would, more often than not, have to come up with some last minute lie as to where she was actually going so keep them from catching on. That isn't to say no one thought it was odd; Zarya, Arkayna and Piper in particular were starting to become more nosy, but no one's mind seemed to even consider or entertain the idea that she might be pregnant, so that itself was going as planned.

Going shopping was becoming increasingly torturous. Whenever Emerald saw a cute purse or a nice pair of shoes, she always had to tell herself that when she has this baby, there won't be money for personal treats. The baby would have to come first and boy were they expensive. She can still remember all the diapers and other supplies her parents stocked up on when her mother found out she was pregnant. Even if she gave the baby up for adoption, something told her she wouldn't be able to enjoy or even keep recent purchases once her parents find out the truth anyway.

When it came to food, however, all self control went out the window. Whenever she and the girls went out to eat, Emerald would skip right to dessert. More evidence that whatever was growing inside of her definitely is related to Kasey. He loved ridiculously sugary foods and that's all Emerald craved. Each time she was forced to pass up ice cream, or chocolate, or any other sweet sugary substances available she almost felt like crying. Especially given the foods she used to love now made her sick to her stomach whenever the smell of them would hit her nostrils.

Training or having to do any intense physical activity was hell, too. Her body felt like cement, making it nearly impossible to even run half the time. Fortunately, the girls understood that Emerald was sick to some extent. They let her take it as easy as much as she needed during training (which included many nap breaks snacks) and offered to help her in anyway they could. Emerald would always feel guilty when she would take long abrupt breaks, but it's not as if she had much of a choice. But still, she hated receiving all this special attention while she was keeping this huge mindblowing secret from them. Especially from Arkayna and Kasey. Kasey was going to be a father, and doesn't even know. Whereas Arkayna is her best friend; her number one companion in life. The person who had her back through it all.

Her guilt only deepened when her mood swings started kicking in later that week. Sometimes, Emerald would feel this intense need to cry and she'd have to hole herself up somewhere until she got ahold of herself again. At other times, she would find herself snapping at random anyone who dared speak to her. At one point, she made both Piper and Doug cry. The young elf had run crying into a confused Zarya's arms while the large cyclops distraughtly clung to a rather spooked Malvaron.

Arkayna and Kasey were both becoming increasingly worried for Emerald. Why did she never want to hug anyone like she used to? Why was she so moody? Why is she sore all the time when she barely exercised at all anymore? Why is she still tired even after resting for a whole day? Why would she seem so repulsed whenever her favorite treats were offered to her? Why was she in the bathroom all the time?

Why wouldn't she tell them anything?

Emerald was only now about five weeks pregnant and she was treating everyone like strangers.

Kasey felt lost. He wanted to help her, but he wasn't sure how. Everything he did seemed to set her off in some form or another. He was so used to her willingly letting him in on anything. He never had to try to push her buttons to try to get her to open up. And on that rare occasion he did, all it took was his signature charming smile and a gentle voice. Now, it seemed as if those two things made her push him away even further.

Arkayna, on the other hand, had enough. This was stupid. Emerald is her best friend. Nothing that happened before changed that. Why would she let anything ruin that now? Clearly, something horrible is going on and Arkayna was going to get to the bottom of it. Even if it was the last thing she ever did, she was not going to let her best friend continue to keep secrets from her. Whether she liked it or not.

One restless night, Emerald found herself lying on her back, staring at the ceiling from her soft bed. Her eyes were irritated and red from crying and she could still taste the potent tang of vomit in the back of her mouth. Oh, how she would love for all of this to finally end. Of course, she knew this would only continue to get worse. Each day was going to have a new challenge. Especially once she tells her family. Especially once she tells her friends. Especially once she tells Kasey. Especially once she gives birth. Keeping the secret to herself only made things even more exhausting. She needed to talk to someone about this, but who could she turn to?

 _If you think you're so exhausted and alone now, just wait until the baby arrives. You'll be even more worn out and lonesome than before..._

Emerald's hand trailed down to her stomach over the small bump. _There's a baby in there_ , she would think to herself. She rubbed her abdomen comfortingly, trying to calm herself down as much as she can. However, she was so emotionally strained to the brim at this point that she found it difficult to do so. Thoughts and feelings of fear and anxiety still penetrated her heart and hovered over her brain like a dark cloud. Tomorrow would be the beginning of the sixth week in her pregnancy. In about another seven to eight months, there would baby would be in her arms. Crying, screaming, and flailing their stocky little arms. Would she even know what to do with an infant? The thought alone terrified her.

 _You're going to be a horrible mother._

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to her unborn child. "You didn't deserve this… you deserve to belong to parents w-who know wh-what to do a-and pre-prepared for you and…" Emerald's voice trailed off as she starting sobbing quietly into her pillow. Just like that, another seed of guilt and shame had taken it's position into her mind. Her baby was going to have a bad life. They were going to be raised with no father and by a sixteen year old dwarf who won't even be there have the time due to her role as a mysticon, not by a loving prepared single or multiple adults who took the time to plan and prepare for one. That's what every child deserves. Yet, adoption seemed so imaginable to her. To "give up" her baby to an orphanage where there was no guarantee that her child would even find a loving long term home felt so irresponsible to her; mainly because she's half of the reason this baby is coming into existence to begin with.

Things at the moment were horrible. Emerald certainly knew that by now. Never had she felt so low in her young life. However one thing she didn't know is that this week, starting tomorrow, was going to be one of the most terrible weeks of her life.


	2. Chapter Two

_Brief Authors Note: Aaaaah I see some people really like my story so far! Thanks to all of you who've left a comment! I'm pretty new to writing so I was a little self conscious about posting this, but this really helps me feel better and more determined to keep making content to the best of my abilities. And I want to give a special thanks to user Mikael0000! I really appreciate you taking the time to write your critique. I want to keep approving my skills as a writer, and I will most certainly take your recommendations into consideration for future chapters and fanfictions! That being said, I feel I should clarify a few things about the setting of the fic to prevent confiusion._

 _This fic takes two years after the events of the show. Be sure to keep in mind this fic is being written before the ending of the show was released, so there may be some "historical inaccuracies", haha. As of now, all of the ships that are canon in the show are also canon here. Whether or not that stays that way… well, we'll just have to wait and see, hm~? Also, I'm very sorry this update took so long! I try to submit new chapters as soon as I possibly can. Unfortunately, finding time to write can be very difficult. Especially since when trying to write detailed content and then proofreading it. Nonetheless, please know that I'm trying very hard to continue this story and I don't plan on stopping it anytime soon!_

 _Thanks again to those reading it! It means a lot to me to have your support! I love you guys! 3_

Chapter Two

 _Don't fall. Don't fall. Don't fall. For the love of all that's holy, please. Don't. Fall._ Emerald silently prayed to herself once Topaz had first launched herself into the sky. As a griffin wrangler, riding upon such large creatures had never once phased her, but things were different now. If she ever fell, regardless of whether or not she would be caught, her unborn child would certainly die from the amount of stress. She almost found it funny how much impending motherhood was making her reconsider so many of her daily routines. God, she hated being pregnant.

The sounds of Zarya and Piper shrieking and giggling out of sheer joy snapped her out of her thoughts. Occasionally, when feeling frisky and goofy, the two would play around and intentionally bump into each other whenever they rode their beasts. Thankfully, It never escalated to a point where one of them could get hurt or risk injuring their griffins, but it always put Emerald and Arkayna on edge nonetheless. The Mysticon Ranger was reckless and wild, while her younger adoptive sister was immature and hyper. When those two collided, trouble and mischief were always a possibility.

"Oh my god," Arkayna groaned, rubbing her temple in annoyance, "This isn't the time to be fooling around! Kymraw is loose and we need to find her before she puts any civilians in grave danger." she said sternly as she narrowed her eyes, mostly speaking to Zarya.

The younger twin raised her eyebrows and put her hands up in defense, "Easy, princess. Pipes and I are only having a bit of fun. Besides, we have the Pink Skulls to help us this time. _Isn't that right, babe?_ " Zarya yelled down to the ship gliding below them, grinning wildly.

She was greeted with the cool wave of a pink glove and wide smile, "That's right, Zarya! We got your back!" Kitty winked and blew a kiss. Zarya pretended that the kiss hit her cheek, dramatically placing a hand over the left side of her chest like she was having a heart attack. Despite her satirical swooning, that didn't stop the genuine deep shade of red that was beginning to creep into her cheeks.

Arkayna was the first to react, her lips pressing together and turning upwards into a smirk, "You two are so cheesy." she scoffed playfully.

"Like you and Malvaron aren't, princess?" the Mysticon Ranger shot back in an equally playful tone, left eyebrow raised. It was hard to play along with Zarya's comeback given she was still looking a little high over the kiss her pirate girlfriend blew her.

Piper giggled, snorting a little bit, "Zarya, can you even argue about that right now? You're literally still blushing! And you keep calling Arkayna _'princess'_ , but you're a princess too!"

"That still doesn't mean what I said about her and Malvaron isn't true!" she ranger huffed, feeling a little embarrassed. "Plus, she still acts like a spoiled goody-two-shoes brat," she taunted, trying to get a reaction out of her sister, only for Arkayna to roll her eyes, "Whatever. I bet Em agrees with me that you and Kitty are the bigger cornballs; right Em?" the young heir glanced back at her best friend. Emerald remained silent. She was too focused on flying as carefully as possible to contribute to the conversation at all. Hell, she didn't even hear a word that was said. Arkayna's smile faded and she exchanged a look with Piper and Zarya, who only shrugged, indicating that they were just as puzzled as she was. The mage sighed gently before turning her attention back to the sky, silence falling back over the group.

However, the silence was rather short lived as it wasn't long before the Zarya and Piper started horsing around once more. All seemed to be going well until Miss Paisley bumped just a little too hard into Archer. Archer let out a sound of irritation and discomfort as he nearly came into contact with Topaz, who let out a short distressed cry and jolted slightly upwards. Emerald gasped loudly, clutching desperately at her griffin's feathers. _Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god!_

Zarya quickly yanked her reigns to the left as fast as she could, leading Archer back into her original position between dwarf and the elf. She looked over at Emerald, who was frantically trying to regain her composure, "Sorry, Em!" she called out to her friend apologetically.

Emerald whirled her head around to face the Mysticon Ranger. Her face was red with both anger and distress as a few tears trailed down her face, " _What is wrong with you?! Don't you ever do that again!_ " she shrieked, making Arkayna whip her head around to see what was going on. Even Zarya recoiled with shock, letting out a quiet "whoa." She understood that Emerald would probably be freaked out, but she wasn't expecting that.

Piper's lip quivered, "Oh no… is she going to snap at me again?" she whimpered, cowering into the safety of Miss Paisley's feathers. "No Piper, I'm sure she won't do that…" Zarya said, trying to reassure the young elf. She cautiously glanced back at Emerald, who was now facing away from everyone. Arkayna studied Emerald for a few seconds, before exhaling gently and guiding Izzie to fly next to Topaz. Despite her best friend's attempts to avoid her gaze, she offered a reassuring smile, "Y'know, the girls and I should be alright up here. Why don't you ride on Kitty's ship? I'm sure Topaz wouldn't mind the break."

Awkwardness aside, Emerald forced herself to gaze at Arkayna. Her lilac eyes were soft and pure with sympathy and solicitousness. She felt yet another pang of remorse for her dishonesty. She wondered how she could even live with herself. Here she was, throwing tantrums and snapping at her teammates when they didn't deserve it. Most leaders would have immediately called her out and perhaps disciplined her by now; but no. Arkayna remained patient and was interested in her well being instead. She knew something wasn't right because she knew Emerald.

 _You don't deserve a friend like that._

Emerald almost protested, partially out of guilt but also because going to Kitty's ship meant having to be around Kasey. She wasn't sure if she could bare that. However, knowing Arkayna, she would only continue to insist she take a break if she dared to object. Ultimately, she decided the least she could do was go along with it. She didn't want to cause anymore problems, nor could she really afford to. After all, they had a criminal to catch and Emerald didn't want to put the mission at a higher risk because of her nervousness.

"Yeah, okay. Maybe I do need a break. Thanks, Arkayna." she dwarf obliged, giving her best friend a fake smile. The Dragon Mage smiled back warmly and nodded, before reclaiming her position in the sky ahead. Emerald then tugged on Topaz's reigns, leading her back to Kitty's ship. Kitty was more than fine with the Mysticon Knight rest. She had heard her little outburst given the ship wasn't too far off from the Mysticons, but didn't bring it up. She also hoped this would give her brother a chance to speak to his girlfriend as well. Kasey had told his older sister about Emerald's change in behavior, which worried her tremendously. Kitty had never seen her brother so wild about anyone and she saw how negatively the dwarf's change in behavior was affecting their relationship and Kasey himself.

She didn't even have to say a thing to Kasey; he already had the same idea in mind. Much to his Emerald's displeasure, he was quick and eager to greet her as soon as she and Topaz landed. She let him give her a brief kiss, one she hardly returned, before finding a place to sit down. The young sky pirate took this as an opportunity to act as if they were on a date. Occasionally he offered to fix her something to eat or tried to put his arm around her, only for his disappointment grow whenever she turned him down or shrugged him off of her. Kasey could only sigh to himself, unsure if whether or not he should keep trying to get her to talk to him. It's been three weeks now, why was she still acting so strangely? All he wanted to do is spend time with her. He understood if she needed space, but why couldn't she just communicate with him?

A horrifying idea then penetrated his thoughts; what if she found someone else? Kasey didn't want to believe that. It doesn't seem like something Emerald would do. Even if she didn't love him anymore, she isn't the kind to just straight up cheat on someone. She's far too kind and thoughtful to do something unfaithful… but it would make sense. She was tired all of the time, moody, and seemed to always be looking for an excuse to get away from him. What if she was tired and moody because she was spending nights with another person? What if she was sneaking off so much to meet up or text said person? What if-

No. Kasey shook his head. He shouldn't let himself get paranoid. He doesn't know what exactly is going on, but that didn't give him a right to accuse her of anything; even if it did turn out to be true. However, he realized sooner or later he would have to finally just confront her. Regardless of what's happening, if Emerald was going to harbor huge secrets that she can't speak to him about then this relationship clearly isn't going to work. As much as it would break his heart, he would have to let her go. Kasey loves Emerald, but he wouldn't force her to stay with him if he made her miserable. That wouldn't be doing either of them any favors.

A large "BOOM!" jerked him out of his thoughts. He peered over the edge of the ship. Kasey saw several of the cities' buildings engulfed in a blur of orange and yellow, much to his horror. He fell backward as Kitty swerved the ship the left before steering it downwards, following the Mysticon's lead. He rolled on his side before forcing himself up. He saw his fellow sky pirates racing across the ship, grabbing weapons and other necessities as they readied themselves for battle. Emerald, however, appeared to be frozen on the spot.

Emerald hadn't prepared for a scenario like this. How could she fight? Her body felt like lead and she would feel out of breath within minutes. What if she got hit? Surely an unborn child couldn't survive a hit from Kymraw or one of her minions. She could just imagine it; she miraculously musters the strength to fight. She comes face to face with Kymraw. She's about to deliver a final blow. Somehow, Kymraw gets lucky shot. Emerald gets hit in the stomach. She can't get up. She feels nothing but agony, specifically in her lower abdomen. She looks between her legs. There's blood. There's so much blood. _Oh my god, there's just so much_. It's warm and sticky and stings as it trails down her legs and forms a puddle underneath her. She's screaming now. She's crying. She's-

"...snap out of it!"

Emerald finally came back to reality, her face was pale and her body felt as if she had broken into a cold sweat. She looked like she had woken up from a nightmare. Kasey had been shaking her shoulders, trying to get her attention. "Emerald, it's me! What's wrong?" he asked. His golden eyelids were peeled back with concern, analyzing her face that was still contorted in fear.

Before she could answer, Kitty's ship made a loud creekingnsound, indicating it had gotten as low to the ground as possible. The Pink Skulls were now leaving the ship, beginning their hot pursuit with the Mysticons after Kymraw. There was no time for this. Emerald had to be there. Pregnant or not, she was a Mysticon Knight and she had to fight. She had to help her friends. She pulled away from Kasey and climbed back on top of Topaz, making sure her sword is available and ready. Despite her boyfriend's protests, demanding to know what was wrong, she gave her griffin the command to follow everyone else; leaving Kasey alone on the ship. The teenage boy let out a growl of frustration as he reached for his weapon and followed.

Emerald didn't get very far. She tried to get as many of Kymraw's minions as she could, but she had bitten off more than she could chew this time. She gasped loudly as her back hit the pavement. Thankfully, it wasn't a far drop, but the shock of Topaz accidentally bucking her off was what knocked the wind out of her. A few of the minions made a few movements towards the small dwarf, trying to take advantage of her sudden vulnerability, but thankfully her feathery companion wasn't about to let anything of the sort happen. Topaz stood over her, using her large mass as a shield for her fallen master. She bared her teeth and narrowed her eyes in a way that would make even Necrafa cower in fear. She then let out a vicious roar that was menacing enough to send Kymraw's crew scrambling.

"Thanks, girl." The dwarf groaned thankfully, earning a pleased chirp from her griffin. Emerald slowly rose to her knees, panting. Her right hand was over her chest and slowly trailed down to her stomach. _Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay._ She prayed silently, fearing for the worst.

Her head snapped upwards once she heard the screech of Kymraw's motorcycle as she and her group were beginning their retreat. Arkayna hollard something she couldn't quite make out, but given the context of the situation, it was clear her leader wanted everyone to pursue Kymraw. She had to be caught. Who knows what would happen if she escaped. Emerald stood up, or at least tried to. However, she only fell back on her knees. Her stomach ached and her body suddenly felt heavier than it's ever been. She groaned and tried again, only to get the same result. Her legs burned and ached more than they ever have before. Her stomach cramped violently, making it nearly impossible to move. Emerald could only hunch over, feeling the need to take deep breaths. Topaz yelped in alarm and begin sniffing her master frantically.

"Emerald!" Kasey cried out, racing over to his girlfriend as fast as he could. Before she knew it, he was crouching down beside her, quickly examining her over with gaping golden eyes. Everything about his face expression screamed shock and terror. He was scared for her. He'd never seen his girlfriend in so much pain before. He had to get her out of here.

"Oh god, let me help you." Kasey said as he put his left hand on Emerald's back and his right on her side, trying to lift her up. Suddenly, he heard her gasp and she whipped around to face him. Her face was contorted with fright before it morphed into something similar to rage. She couldn't handle it. She couldn't handle him placing his hands on her. She felt so overwhelmed that she could swear all of her senses could explode. She closed her eyes, raising up her arms immediately to defend herself.

" _Get away from me!_ "

She felt her arms jerk forward and she opened her eyes. Emerald let out another gasp as she realized what she had done. Kasey was now on his back, staring up at her absolutely mortified. She had pushed him. Not a gentle tiny push. A rough violent push. Emerald Goldenbraid, the dwarf who had never hurt a fly, had pushed her own boyfriend onto the ground. And all he did was try to help her.

She put a hand over her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as realization and guilt began to settle in, "Kasey, I am so sorry! I- I didn't mean to!' she stammered helplessly, hoping he'd understand.

"Stop, Emerald! Just. Stop." Kasey snapped, picking himself up. He glared at her as he stood up again, his bright eyes burning into her's. This time, she had gone too far. He was fed up. He had enough. It was undeniably crystal clear now that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. This time, Emerald found herself being the one to move towards him, trying to touch him and make it all better. However, much like she had been doing to him for weeks, he turned away from her and took a step back. This time, he was the one that didn't want to be touched.

They stared at each other for what felt like hours, studying each other. Emerald hadn't noticed how drained Kasey looked before. There were dark circles under his eyes and his faced looked slightly more pale. He appeared less angry now, a look of sadness and disappointment was masked over his face. After a few more seconds he let out a deep exasperated sigh before turning his back to her and walking away.

"Kasey, wait! Please!" Emerald cried out, trying to fight back tears. Here she was, finally losing him and he didn't even know she was pregnant yet. No matter what she said and no matter how many times she called for him, he wouldn't turn around. Tears were now flowing freely from her eyes, soaking her face as a hard lump formed in her throat. Eventually, he was out of sight. There was nothing more she could do at that point. She felt sick and her breathing became erratic and shallow. She had to get out of here. She turned to Topaz who blinked at her in confusion.

"C'mon, girl. Let's go." Topaz lowered her body as much as she could so Emerald could easily climb on. The griffin let out a small squawk before taking off. For the first time since she found out she was pregnant, Emerald had never been more relieved to be up in the air. The tiny dwarf then buried her face into her feathery companion's neck, her body wracking violently with deep and powerful sobs. She could only now think of how she ruined everything.

The cheers of both the Mysticons and the Pink Skulls from their victory against Kymraw could be heard from a distance.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Emerald couldn't stop crying.

She messed up. She knew that by now. Her relationship was over. Kasey was done. She pushed him too far, and too hard. She couldn't face her friends right now. By now, Kasey would've said something to Kitty, Kitty would've told Zarya, and Zarya would've told everyone else. She didn't know what else to do. All she knew is that she just wanted to go home. She couldn't deal with anything else right now.

She slowly led Topaz back to her stall, her body racking with sobs from the days events. The griffin picked up on her master's negativity and gently rested her chin on Emerald's shoulder as they walked. Topaz purred into her master's ear, hoping that might ease the dwarf's mind. It didn't, but Emerald knew enough about griffins to realize what Topaz was trying to do and she appreciated it. _'At least that's one friend who would never hate me.'_

Emerald opened the stall as quietly as she could. She didn't want any of Arkayna's family to know she was there yet. She knew she had to see the Queen about "taking a break" from her role as a griffin wrangler. Queen Goodfey was technically her employer and it wouldn't set well if she left without any warning. But first she needed to try to calm herself down since it was still obvious she had been crying. Her eyes were misty and red while her face was covered in a disgusting mess of tears and snot. The last thing she needed was someone questioning why she was so upset or why she returned without the others. Chances are she'd only feel more upset and humiliated. "Crying sure isn't as graceful in real life as it is in the movies…" the Knight mumbled to herself bitterly.

As she started to disassemble Topaz, she couldn't help but wonder if this would be one of the last times she'd ever see Topaz. The thought was almost like taking an hammer to the heart. She's practically raised the griffin since she started working here; Topaz was her baby. She couldn't imagine never seeing her again. _'I guess that's someone else I'll have to get used to losing.'_

After hanging up all of her equipment, she gazed back at Topaz for what might be the final time. Topaz stared back with big, innocent eyes; no clue about what was to happen next. Emerald moved towards her feathery companion, gently placing a hand on each side of the her face. The beast churred in curiosity, but didn't question it or move away. The dwarf's smile wavered as she leaned in to gently touch foreheads with her friend. "I'm going to miss you… so much." she said, her voice faltering with sadness. Topaz made a worried sound at that, nuzzling her master as an attempt to reassure her. Emerald planted a kiss on her forehead before pulling away. Her companion only watched, her gaze a little less innocent and more concerned. The Knight forced herself to smile once more before she left, "I love you." she whispered before closing the stall door behind her, locking it shut.

Emerald sniffled as she made her way through the palace, heading for Queen Goodfey's office. She still looked upset, but not as much as when she first arrived. Her face was dried out from the tears, but she had cleaned herself up a bit so she looked presentable. She hoped that she wouldn't break down in front of the Queen. She wanted to leave as discreetly as possible. Her stomach did a somersault when she reached Queen Goodfey's office door. Despite feeling her hand shake like mad, that didn't stop her from giving the door a solid knock.

"Come in!" Goodfey's voice rang from behind the door.

 _'Here goes nothing.'_

Emerald wrapped her hand around the cold door knob, twisting it cautiously as she made her way into the room. For it being the Queen's study, the room was smaller and messier than one would expect, but in a weird way it felt homey. The different shades of gold and dark green furniture in the room made the atmosphere unexpectedly relaxing and somewhat warm. Though still high-strung, Emerald felt a bit more at ease. At least until she saw the Queen, her stomach than began to shift itself into knots.

Queen Goodfey took a few more seconds to look through her paperwork before turning her attention to Emerald, "Hello, Emerald…" the warm smile she normally had reserved for the dwarf turned into a worrisome frown once she saw the young girl's expression, "Whatever is the matter, dear?"

Emerald sucked in a breath, "I… I need to take some time off." she swallowed nervously. It was taking every fiber of her being not to break down right then and there in the Queen's office. The older woman leaned forward in her chair, her left brow furrowing while her right curved upwards, "Oh? Is everything alright?" she asked, her voice indicating her concern for her daughters' friend.

The Knight shifted uncomfortably under the question. She didn't want to lie to her best friend's mother, but she also couldn't tell her about her pregnancy, "I've been feeling very ill the past few weeks, and I think I need to… take some time off to get everything checked out." She felt her cheeks flush as the Queen's eyes widened, "Is it serious?"

Emerald didn't know what else to do but nod, "Y-yeah… it kind of is." The older woman's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her skull as she opened her mouth to speak, but Emerald didn't give her the chance, "I'm not going to die! It's nothing terminal, I'm pretty sure! I just need to get help." she specified, wincing at herself for making it sound worse that it actually was.

The Queen relaxed a little at that, but her blue eyes were still fixated on the young girl. She set her elbows on her desk, folding her hands and resting her head on them. She analyzed the dwarf up and down, curious to see if she could detect what was amiss on her own. Emerald resisted every urge to squirm like crazy under the Queen's probing eye. Suddenly, something in the older woman's eyes flashed, making Emerald nearly jump out of her own skin. Did… she figure it out? _'N-no, that's not possible. Stop being so paranoid, dammit!'_

"Alright… you can take some time off." the Queen replied, finally. "How much time do you figure you'll need?"

"Um," Emerald thought about that for a minute. She hadn't been prepared for that question, "I'm not entirely sure yet… maybe at least two weeks for now?" She knew it would probably be around seven and a half months in actuality, but if she said that there's no way the Queen would agree to that without a specific reason.

Queen Goodfey nodded. She seemed to understand from what Emerald could tell– but she wasn't ready to go without asking one more question; "Do the girls know?"

The question almost made Emerald jump, "Y-you mean do they know I'm taking a break?" The Queen nodded, her brows furrowing. Emerald's gaze shifted towards the ground, "N-not exactly… they know I haven't been feeling my best, but not that I was planning on taking a break." she explained, still not looking up at the older woman. She paused before speaking again, "If it's alright, can you please not tell them?" the dwarf asked shyly, cringing slightly at her own question. "I want to find out exactly what's wrong first before I tell them. I-I don't want to scare anyone."

Queen Goodfey just simply looked at the younger girl. As much as she wanted to question the griffin wrangler's motives, she decided not to force it, seeing as she was not entitled to her privacy. However, she couldn't help but worry. Emerald's been Arkayna's best friend since they were five and six; she watched her grow up. Just like any other mother would worry for her child's friends, she couldn't help but feel protective over the dwarf. What she was hearing now concerned her deeply. She sighed, "I won't tell them, but don't think they won't find out. Those three, especially my daughters, are the most stubborn and caring people ever born. You won't be able to hide whatever this is for long." she warned.

Emerald nodded, starting to feel ashamed of burdening her best friend's mother in such a way, "I know, ma'am." She finally found the courage to look back up at the Queen, expecting her to look angry or disappointed. She was surprised to see that the Queen seemed neither of those things. Instead, she offered her a small, reassuring smile. "Y'know, dear, you can always talk to me if you need to."

The young Knight felt her gut twist with guilt. A part of her wanted to tell the Queen everything, but then she remembered why she actually couldn't. She forced herself to smile back, "I appreciate it, ma'am, but no thank you."

Queen Goodfey looked a little disappointed, but understanding. "Alright, but if you change your mind, don't be a stranger. Feel better soon."

Emerald gave the Queen a sad smile before leaving, "Thank you for understanding, ma'am."

Emerald was starting to wonder if going home was such a good idea after all. When she arrived, she expected to be greeted by her brothers, mother, and possibly her father and Eartha if they were home from her father's work. Instead, she was greeted by a dark, empty house. A note she found in the kitchen explained that her family had gone to run some errands. At first, the dwarf was relieved that her family wasn't around. Her family was loud and rather obnoxious, and she felt she needed some quiet time alone to recover. For awhile it seemed to be working, but the silence gave her just a little too much time to think; specifically about her current problem.

She tried distracting herself, but nothing seemed to work. Reading would have her full attention for about five minutes, only for a single word to trigger her memory of today's events. Watching T.V. didn't do much good either. The dwarf would find herself engrossed in a movie or soap opera, up until some affectionate couple appeared which led her thoughts towards Kasey. She didn't even bother turning to her phone for comfort. She turned off her notifications so she wouldn't see if anyone had tried to reach her since the incident. The moment she opened her phone, there would be a risk she'd see some message demanding to know what happened, and that was something she knows she can't handle right now. You wouldn't be going through this right now if you hadn't screwed it all up.

 _'God, are you going to keep making these mistakes as a mother, too?'_

A part of Emerald wanted to cry again, but it felt as if her tears were stuck. She had to admit, she was thankful for that. She hated the dark cloud that had been following her for the past three weeks. She hated being sad all the time. She hated being alone. She just wanted to feel good. She wanted to be with her friends, as much as she knew that wasn't much of an option right now. A loud gurgling sound snapped her out of her thoughts. It took her a moment to realize it was her own stomach. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, and now it was almost dinnertime. She ran a hand over her lower abdomen apologetically, "I'm sorry, I lost track of time. I bet you're hungry." she whispered, a small smile forming on her lips.

She thought about what she might have in her house. Emerald considered leftovers from the other night, but then remembered most of what her mother made now made her sick to her stomach. She sighed in irritation; she couldn't skip eating– that would be unhealthy for both her and her baby. However, if she tried eating her mother's leftovers, she'd surely throw up as she was very sensitive to certain smells at the moment.

It occurred to her that her only solution seemed to be going out to eat. She didn't have a ton of money, nor did she want to possibly run into someone she knew. She could order to go, but sometimes that was more expensive, and she really did not want to be alone in her house right now. Even if they weren't her friends, being in a setting where there were other people that she didn't feel the same pressure to hide from was somewhat comforting.

 _'But what if I run into the girls? Or Kasey?'_

That was always a possibility. Although, with Arkayna and Zarya being a bit older now, they had more responsibilities then they did two years ago. Especially Arkayna, as she's a little under a year away from turning eighteen and is the one to inherit the throne one day. Their mother's teachings in all matters related to royalty and politics have become more intensive. Even Piper has been involved ever since she's been living with the Zarya and Arkayna, despite not have been adopted by the twins' mother and step-father. Emerald supposed it was safe to include that she wouldn't see any of her best friends during her outing.

 _'That's a problem for a later time!'_ Her stomach seemed to suddenly growl at her. Emerald couldn't help but chuckle slightly as she ran a hand over her stomach lovingly. She smiled as she couldn't help but feel a small wave of affection wash over her. She had been aware of her pregnancy for three weeks now, but for the first time, she began to feel genuine love for the life that was growing inside of her rather than fear and remorse. "Let's go get us something to eat! That sounds good, yeah?" she cooed.

Her stomach growled again in response, earning another chuckle from Emerald. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

Emerald made her way through the crowds in the city. Bumping into the people typically wasn't something she thought twice about since it was near impossible not to too given how busy the streets were at night. Of course, she wasn't pregnant before. While she didn't think she would just spontaneously miscarry if she bumped into someone, she still didn't want to risk any kind of accident or injury, just in case. She still hadn't completely shaken off the close calls she experienced early this morning.

While walking, she browsed through the different restaurants. The city is fairly large, so while she wouldn't be able to see all of her options, she tried to find one she hadn't gone to with her friends or Kasey recently. She didn't want to go to a restaurant she had never been in either, though. This was mainly because she wanted to ensure she liked the food at wherever she ate. She, as well as a certain someone, were hungry enough as it is.

Eventually she came to halt as she passed a pizzeria called _Ricci's_. She wondered why that name sounded so familiar. She then remembered that she and Arkayna used to eat there when they were pre-teens. For awhile, it was their favorite place to eat before they started hanging out at the mall. She remembered how good their pizza tasted. Could she even _have_ pizza? Suddenly, as if on cue, the smell of the tomato sauce and cheese hit her nose, and she didn't feel sick. Her stomach growled, and before she knew it, she was pushing the door open and entered the restaurant.

Just as the door behind her shut, she was hit with a wave of nostalgia. The place wasn't packed. There were only two kids that sat at the one of the smaller tables with their mothers. Just as Emerald remembered, _Ricci's_ was rarely ever full. It was always pretty quiet, despite the occasional sound of someone's laughter while the Jukebox softly played in the background. Emerald had to refrain from laughing as she remembered the time she and Arkayna played _What's New, Pussycat?_ eight times in a row, clearly irritating the other customers in there.

Emerald went to go take a seat in the back corners while looking around. The place hadn't changed at all. She couldn't help but smile as she looked at the floor tiles. The tiles had the exact same diagonal red and white pattern. It reminded her of one time when Arkayna and Emerald dared each other to walk on only the red tiles. The weird looks they got from strangers made them giggle while Emerald's mother could only watch with embarrassment.

Emerald made sure to sit in the same chair she sat in the last time she went here. She wondered if anyone would remember her. Eventually a waiter made his way over and she couldn't help but grin when she recognized him, "Hey Alberto!"

The middle-aged man's head shot up when she said his name. He stared at her for a few seconds before he broke out into a grin, "Emerald Goldenbraid! My goodness, how long has it been? Five years?" he asked, giving her a quick embrace before pulling away to examine her.

Emerald nodded, "I think so! How've you been? I remember last time I was here you and your wife were expecting a baby!"

"Aaliyah and I are doing very well, thank you! We have a little boy now. He's four and a half. Very mischievous, just like his mother." He shook his head, chuckling, "Parenthood has not been easy."

"Oh? How so?" Emerald asked curiously.

"Well, little Antonio Jr. has been enrolled in a nice pre-school, yeah? Really nice kids, really nice teachers, blah blah blah. The parents are all good people too. However, Aaliyah's been feeling a little self-conscious around them." Antonio said, sighing a bit.

That took Emerald by surprise. Aaliyah wasn't the type to get self-conscious. She was always very proud of who she was and would gladly kick anyone's ass if they gave her trouble. It was hard to imagine Aaliyah feeling embarrassed over anything. "What? How come? I bet she's the coolest mother there!"

Antonio was quick to grin at that, "Oh she is. There's no question there. But it's for mainly two reasons. For one, we're the only couple there that didn't come from your world, y'know? Our families were brought here. It's not obvious just by looking at us, but when they say our names people realize it. Aaliyah, and even myself, have been worried he might get bullied for it. Both of us have experienced a lot of xenophobia when we came here at first. Things have changed a lot since then, but still."

Emerald nodded understandingly. When she was a kid, she was sometimes bullied for being a dwarf. She remembered that both her parents experienced that too when they were growing up. It was different from xenophobia, but she still understood what it was like for someone to prejudiced against her. "Ah, I see. What's the other reason, if it's okay to ask?"

"Well, we're also some of the oldest parents there. I was thirty-nine when our son was born. Aaliyah was forty-nine, and she's definitely the oldest there. One of Antonio Jr.'s classmates even asked her if she was his grandma. The kid didn't mean it like that, but Aaliyah took that pretty hard."

Emerald nodded again. She always knew Aaliyah had a younger soul and liked to present as such. She wasn't immature by any means, but she definitely liked being seen as youthful. For her to only be fifty-three and asked such a question by a child, the most blunt kind of people in the world, would definitely take a blow to her pride. "Aw, poor Aaliyah. Well, tell her that I think she's still hip!"

Antonio chuckled, "I'll be sure to do that. But enough about me; how are you? How's your family?"

"They're good! My parents are hard at work as usual, and my brothers are super annoying as usual." She muttered the last sentence, rolling her eyes a little.

Antonio laughed out loud at that. "Some things never change. Unlike you. I remember when you were about ten or eleven. Now look at you. You're still a child, but almost a grown woman. You're what? Sixteen?"

Emerald smiled and nodded, "That's right! I turned sixteen about two months ago."

"I still can't believe this little girl turned into a teenager," he said in amazement. "So, like many pretty girls your age, do you have a special someone in your life?" Antonio asked, his eyes glimmering with mischief.

Emerald's heart clenched at that. She didn't even know how to answer. Was Kasey still her boyfriend? Probably not, but it's not like they've officially broken up either. "Uh… something like that, yeah."

"Oh, is it that pretty princess you used to come in here with? My wife and I always predicted you two might become an item when you're older." Antonio asked, half teasingly and half seriously.

Emerald's face turned bright red. She surely wasn't expecting that. "O-oh, n-no actually. I've been seeing a guy. So is Arkayna."

Antonio genuinely looked surprised, "Oh! Well, I apologize for assuming! I would leave to meet your boyfriend though! He must be a lucky young man, I'm sure." Antonio winked, "Bring him around here sometime."

"I will." Emerald doubted she would be able to keep her promise.

The older man quickly glanced at the clock before turning back to Emerald, "Oops! I just spent ten minutes talking to you! I should probably take your order before my papa yells at me. What would you like, dear?"

"A slice of pineapple pizza, please!" Emerald said quickly, she could almost feel herself salivating.

"One slice of pineapple pizza coming up, then!" He said before winking again and adding, "On me."

"You don't have to do that!" Emerald protested. She didn't want Antonio to feel like he had to pay for her just because they were old friends.

"Please, I insist."

Before Emerald could say anything else, the forty-three year old disappeared into the kitchen. While she waited, she thought about what they had talked about. Would her child be made fun of for being half-dwarf and half-human? Would other parents judge her being so young? Would her child's classmates confuse her for their sister? Would her child be bullied for not having a father?

Emerald could feel her head swimming again. She hoped leaving the house would make her feel better, but instead, she gained new reasons to fear becoming a mother. _'Should I… give up my child after all?'_ She thought silently to herself. This wouldn't eliminate all of her problems, but perhaps her baby wouldn't be as bullied if they were raised by someone more prepared and older.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a paper plate hitting the table. In front of her was a fresh slice of pineapple pizza that was practically oozing with marinara sauce. She looked up at Antonio who just smiled warmly at her, "Enjoy, Em!"

After she thanked him, she didn't hesitate to get started. Each bite filled up her taste buds with the sweet-savory flavor of the sauce, cheese, and pineapples. After she finished, she felt her head clear. She forgot how much hunger could cloud her judgement. Especially since she's been pregnant. She leaned back in her seat, feeling happier and satisfied. When she was sure no one would be looking at her, she gently rubbed her stomach, "I hope you feel better now, too. Maybe when you're born, we'll go here every now and then." she whispered softly, a smile on her face. _'Or if you get adopted, I hope your parents will take you here.'_

Emerald's brief moment of satisfaction and peace didn't last long.

There was a small tapping sound coming from behind her, causing her to turn around. The sight made every bit of color drain from her face. Through the glass, Emerald could see a furious-looking Arkayna staring right at her. The seventeen year old had both of her hands on her hips, while a tight scowl rested on her face. Before the dwarf could further react, she could see the older teen storm over the entrance where she heard the door open swiftly and slam shut in a matter of seconds.

 _'Uh oh.'_

A few customers noticed the princess and started whispering excitedly amongst themselves. Normally, if noticed out in public, Arkayna would graciously greet anyone who wished to speak with her. However, the anger-driven determination in her eyes concluded that today, she couldn't care less about them. Before Emerald knew it, Arkanya had taken a seat across from her. She had her arms crossed as she sat straight in her chair, a scowl still remaining on her face.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." The princess spat, her eyes narrowing.

"Arkayna," Emerald whimpered quietly, "please, not here."

Arkayna let out a sharp 'huff', "Oh, believe me, I'd rather be anywhere than here to talk about what you've just done. But how can I trust you won't run away or lie to me again? Do you think I'm freaking stupid?"

Emerald flinched at her words. She couldn't blame the princess's frustration. Arkayna was her best friend and all she had done was lie to her for several weeks, as well as everyone else. Unsure how to answer, she looked around helplessly at the few customers who were now staring at them. Arkayna then looked around too before turning back to Emerald. After a few moments, she let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her temples. Surely she was aware that yelling at her best friend in a public restaurant would do poorly for her reputation as a future queen and a Mysticon. She also wasn't here to humiliate Emerald, she just wanted to get to the bottom of this. The brunette closed her eyes, deep in thought.

Without looking back up she mumbled, "In case something like this would happen... have a limo waiting outside around the corner. As long as you promise to stop lying to me, we can talk somewhere more private."

Emerald opened her mouth to speak, "Oka–"

"Promise me," Arkayna hissed, her voice quivering slightly with intensity, "I want to hear you promise me." She didn't take an eye off of the blonde.

The dwarf swallowed uneasily, "I promise. I promise I-I'll stop lying to you and tell you everything." she said, her words tumbling off her lips clumsily.

Without another word spoken, Arkayna swiftly grabbed Emerald by the arm and lead her out the front door, but not before giving the customers a phony smile and a tiny wave.

It didn't quite register for Emerald what was about to happen until she heard the limo door gently click shut. With the black seats and the dark tinted windows, she couldn't help but feel like she was some kind of trapped animal.

"Take us home, please." Arkayna commanded to the driver, her voice cold and indifferent, which was entirely different to how she spoke to anyone who served her. The driver shifted nervously in his seat before nodding and starting the automobile. Before Emerald knew it, they were on their way back to the palace. For awhile, they sat in uncomfortable silence. Arkayna had her arms crossed once more, a clear indication that she wasn't any less ticked than she was when she found Emerald.

"Zarya, Piper, Malvaron and Doug are all still looking for you. I figured that if I was the first to find you, it'd be easier to tell me what's going on if it was just the two of us rather than telling everyone at once." Arkayna spoke suddenly, causing the Mysticon Knight to jolt slightly. While Arkayna could sometimes be your stereotypical selfish princess, she could also be very thoughtful, no matter how dire a situation was. Especially when it came to her friends' feelings, Emerald's in particular.

"Oh, um, thanks." Emerald said weakly, offering her a small smile. Arkayna ignored her, instead keeping her eyes glued forward. The younger teen scratched at her arm awkwardly, unsure of what to say or ask next. Were Kasey and Kitty looking for her as well? She didn't really think so, but then again, she didn't think the girls would really go out to look for her either. "What about Kasey and Kitty?"

The princess shrugged, still not looking at her best friend, "Kasey's upset and Kitty's pissed, as you can imagine. Kitty's trying to comfort him right now. If no one had found you, I'm sure she would've. I'd be very thankful I got to you first. Who knows what she would do to the girl that broke her little brother's heart." Emerald flinched at Arkayna's words. She couldn't deny the truth behind them. This was just another reminder of how horribly she's been treating Kasey. She wouldn't blame Kitty if she wanted to kill her, in all honesty. If someone hurt her little brothers, or Eartha, whom she saw as a sister, she'd be out to spill blood too. That being said, she considered herself very lucky Arkayna was the one to find her.

"Thanks... again. And hey, um, how did you find me?" The blonde asked, raising an eyebrow. They hadn't been to _Ricci's_ in such a long time and it's not like Arkayna could read her mind. Either Arkayna must've had to have been tearing Drake City apart just to find her or she got lucky. Or both.

"Well, for starters, the girls and I tried to get in touch with you. So did Malvaron and Doug. We initially thought if we could get you to meet us somewhere to talk, there'd be a chance we could resolve things a lot more smoothly." Arkayna started, glaring daggers at Emerald, which made her shrink a little in her seat. "But, when you wouldn't pick up, we got more worried. We actually thought maybe something terrible happened to you." the princess continued, her voice wavering slightly. Emerald felt a pang of guilt drop in her stomach. She should have considered that not responding to her friends might give off the impression that something horrible could've happened. Given their roles as Mysticons, it wasn't a far stretch. Just because Necrafa was gone doesn't mean there aren't people that would want to cause harm or even kill them.

Arkayna inhaled sharply before continuing, "That's when we started looking for you. Zarya and Piper paired up to look around the Undercity, while Doug and Malvaron decided to go see if they could find any trace of you outside of it. I went alone to see if you were at any of our usual hang outs. I really started to freak when I went back to your house and saw that no one was there." The brunette had turned away again. For a split second, it looked like she wiped something off of her face. Was she crying? Had Emerald really worried everyone that badly?

"Arkayna," Emerald started, her heart learching, "I–"

"You just– you really had everyone worried! You had _me_ worried!" Arkayna snapped suddenly, turning to face Emerald once more. Her eyes were now reddened and there were a few tears running down her face. "The last three weeks you've been acting so secretive. I've tried to be patient, but you wouldn't open up. You've been so moody, and sometimes it was just… it was kind of scary." Arkayna sighed as she wiped her face again. Emerald had to refrain herself from holding her, taking her in her arms and apologizing rapidly. She mentally beat herself for not considering how much this would _hurt_ other people. She wished she could take back the three weeks of secrecy and dishonesty. Even if it meant more pain for her, she wished she'd just told everyone the truth. Their pain wasn't necessary. She never wanted this. But it was too late for that now. The damage had already been done.

All she could try now was to ease some of it, and to do exactly what she promised; to never lie to her best friend ever again. Emerald reached over and gently placed a hand on Arkayna's knee. The mage slowly looked over at her. The dwarf couldn't quite make out her expression, but she could probably guess. "I'm sorry…" she let out hoarsely. It wasn't much, but at least it was a start.

Arkayna just gazed sadly at her before barely whispering, "I know."

They remained like that for what felt like minutes before the limo came to a slow and steady hault. Only moments later, the limo driver spoke. "Princess Arkayna, we've arrived."

Emerald fell back against Arkayna's bed while the latter went to shut and lock the door. She let out a sigh as she felt her best friend's weight sink in right next to her. There was still a wave of anxiety in the air. She still had yet to tell Arkayna her little secret and as much as she was dreading it, the suspense was practically killing her. She could tell Arkayna felt the same. She swore she could feel the anticipation coming off of the princess in huge waves. Still, they let themselves have a moment of peace with each other. For two friends that have been hanging out everyday since they were kids, three weeks of without each other felt like an eternity.

"So," Arkayna started, clearing her throat, "are you finally going to tell me what's going on?" she asked quietly. Emerald let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She could feel her head start to spin with fear and anxiety. This was it.

"You're… you're going to judge me." The dwarf breathed out as she sat up slowly, hands gripping the sheets in her hands like she was on a rollercoaster and the blanket was the bar she sat behind. She didn't have to even look at Arkayna to know that she was still watching her carefully. She expected to hear a snappy retort or for her best friend to demand and force it out of her. Instead, the princess put a hand on top of her's. Something about that made Emerald's insides squirm in a way that was foreign and indescribable.

She turned to look at the princess only to see her eyes filled with solace and determination, "Em, whatever has happened, I'm here to support you." With that, Emerald realized she couldn't run anymore, and she didn't want to. Arkayna was her princess and she was her knight. If she ever hurt the girl she swore she'd protect ever again, she'd never forgive herself. Not for a moment did she take her eyes off of Arkayna.

"I'm… I'm pregnant."

And just like that, all the spinning in Emerald's head finally came to a stop. It was almost as if everything around the two girls disappeared and they were the only remaining things left on earth. Emerald couldn't hardly stand to look at her best friend, but yet she was all she could focus on. Just Arkayna and those wide lavender eyes full of shock, concern, and…. something else the younger could not seem to read.

There was a period of complete silence between them that was so unlike the moment of peace they allowed themselves to share before. It was uncomfortable and scary. Emerald could already feel her heart racing and her head start to spin again. Arkayna still hadn't moved her hand off of her own.

The heir finally broke the spell between them, casting a brief gaze down at the dwarf's stomach before meeting her gaze once more. "P-pregnant? You're pregnant?" Emerald searched for a voice within herself so she could answer Arkayna, but nothing came out. She just swallowed, holding the other's gaze stiffly. The dwarf just internally focused on bracing herself, withdrawing her hand. It wouldn't be long before the teenaged princess would subject her to her scorn and disgust.

 _'Slut. Whore. Deadbeat. Waste of space.'_

She could already hear the insults echoing through her head. She wondered what the princess's choice of words would be.

But to the Knight's surprise, her liege did none of those things. Instead, Arkayna moved closer to her. They couldn't have been more than an inch apart now. Emerald could feel her own breathing harden in fear from the uncertainty of what could come out of this situation. To the dwarf's relief and confusion, she didn't look angry or disgusted. Arkayna's shocked expression had dulled a bit, but her features were morphed into an expression laced with concern and sympathy. It was almost as if the princess now understood and pieced together everything that had been going on the past few weeks. She hung her head to the side slightly, "Oh, Em…"

The sensation Emerald was feeling from this was bizarre; getting yelled at and shunned by Arkayna was one of the things she feared most. She was used to having her best friend see some of the most vulnerable sides to her and vice versa, but something in her churned at the thought of anyone seeing her utterly helpless like this. She was a knight, after all. It's her job to protect and save everyone else when they're helpless and in a situation they can't crawl out of. It was never supposed to be the other way around. It felt wrong, when it wouldn't have for a more "normal" pair of friends, and that alone made her almost wish she was being berated by the older teen.

Emerald wanted to turn away, but her body was too stubborn. Her instincts were all over the place. One side of her told her to get away from the situation, and maybe if it were anyone else she would have; like she had been doing for the past few weeks. But she knew Arkayna as a source of comfort, safety and someone to stay beside during hard times. There was also that primal part of her conditioning as a Mysticon Knight that prevented her from running away from the princess. Her best friend opened her mouth to speak, but Emerald couldn't hold out. "I'm sorry, Arkayna!" she blurted out louder than she had wanted, "I- I messed up! I know I did! I didn't mean for this to happen. I- I didn't plan on getting pregnant! I didn't mean to push everyone away! I didn't mean to hurt you! Or Zarya! Or Piper! Or Kasey! And… and…!"

It was only then when her vision suddenly blurred that she realized she had been crying. She awkwardly wiped her face, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment. "And… I didn't mean to leave my child fatherless…" she choked out miserably. "I didn't mean to let you down. I… I wanted to keep being a Mysticon and a griffin wrangler. I wanted to always have you in my life. I wanted to have Kasey in my future. But I messed up, and now I can't have any of that. I- I ruined my life." The young teen buried her face in her hands, now sobbing.

Emerald felt a warm hand place itself on her shoulder. She refused to look up, but she wanted so badly to just melt into Arkayna's touch. To just forget about everything and let her best friend comfort her, but she knew it was too late for that. Or at least she thought. She felt the hand on her shoulder grip her tighter and pull her forward as another arm wrapped itself around her. It took her a moment to realize that Arkayna was actually hugging her. "Why are you–"

"You didn't ruin your life, Em." the older stated firmly, much to the dwarf's surprise. Arkayna wasn't going to give her best friend the chance to speak, "You just made a mistake… and you can fix this. I would never, ever leave you."

The dwarf awkwardly leaned forward to hold on to Arkayna. She had forgotten how nice it felt to be held and touched by someone she cared about so deeply. "P-promise?"

"I promise. I promise I'll never leave you." The older teen affirmed without a moment's hesitation.

Emerald felt her heart swell and she allowed herself to rest her head on Arkayna's shoulder. Despite finding herself crying again, she could internally smile that she didn't have to be alone this time. Her tears of fear and sorrow had now turned into tears of relief. Things were far from over, but at least she finally confided in somebody.

She'd never been more thankful to have Arkayna as her best friend that day.


End file.
